Our First Adopt-a-Highway Work Party at the Big Milkweed Patch
On Saturday March 16, 2024, seven members of our club spent the morning picking up litter along the largest known patch of native Showy Milkweed in Lane County as part of the Adopt-a-Highway program. We picked up ten bags of litter. The milkweed is not up yet, but we were happy to see that ODOT had mowed down the invasive plants there while the milkweed was dormant but before this area got too wet to mow. Luckily Sharon brought her rubber boots, since the milkweed patch is in a low spot where a couple of culverts drain in, so there were several inches of water over much of the area. Unfortunately, some trees along the fence line had fallen during the ice storm onto the milkweed patch, although ODOT plans to remove them after the water dries up but before the milkweed comes up. If you happen to drive this section of highway regularly (eastbound HWY 126 in Springfield between 42nd St and 28th St), please let us know, since we would like to have reports on this site in-between our work-party events. Our next work-party will be in June when the milkweed will be blooming and hopefully attracting butterflies.
